Chojja vs Jju
Game 1 – 815
Before I comment on the game, I must say that Jju’s sign was very cute…and awkward. I didn’t know these two were so close.
I would make a joke here...but it's too easy.
Chojja started in the lower right main and used the gas first for fast lair build that has become very common for ZvZ on 815. Jju, on the other hand, went for a hatch first build…to a new main! Both players sent their overlords directly for their opponents main, which worked against Jju as Chojja could see that something was up due to his late pool and absent hatchery. Chojja immediately laid a hatch at his natural and began to climb to lair tech.
Jju was not too far behind and started his lair. They both began to produce zerglings... and then it all went bad for Jju. Chojja had a solidly laid out ling group, while his opponent was rallying an unsteady stream of lings to his natural. Chojja caught Jju out of position and got 3 completely free ling kills during retreat. He then pushed harder and fought Jju’s lings in small groups. In the end Jju was able to clear it out, but he had spent a lot of larva on lings while Chojja had begun muta production. This combined with his earlier lair and thus spire gave Chojja a big lead in tech. Jju wasn’t really mining at his new main anyway so he didn’t really get an advantage there.
Jju finally clears Chojja's lings from his main.
Jju tried attacking Chojja with ling/scourge and a muta before he fell further behind, and was completely stomped. He gave up shortly after.
Chojja > Jju
Jju’s build was stupid. He didn’t even utilize the gas at the new main and his ling placement was weird and spotty due to the rallying point he set up. He always seemed to have the intention of being aggressive, which didn’t suit the placement of his production or the possible advantage of his build. The only explanation is that he was trying to fool Chojja into expecting him to be passive. In any case, it didn’t work.
Game 2 – Peaks of Baekdu
Chojja got the top main and Jju got the bottom. They took different approaches immediately as Jju waited longer for his pool at his 12th drone and Chojja built his at 9. Once again, Jju expanded early to his gas expo (left of center).
Chojja went for the throat right away. He attacked Jju’s drones and with such a head start due to his early pool, he was able to harass Jju and keep his drones jumping around to defend. When Jju finally caught up with Chojja’s ling numbers, Chojja was already building a spire and Jju didn’t even have a lair!
Jju, getting ling harassed to death.
Both players knew what was coming at this point. Chojja laid down a pair of sunkens to protect himself from his opponent’s inevitable assault and Jju rallied drones and lings to the North. Jju tried his best, but Chojja was able to defend himself by gumming up the works with drones while his sunkens attacked. 3 mutas hatched and finished off the rest.
Chojja > Jju
Jju didn’t 9 pool on the smallest map in the map pool. Chojja’s response and ling harass was very typical. I can’t imagine he didn’t experience playing against that same style and build before. A very disappointing game to say the least.
Game 3 – Rush Hour
Chojja started at the bottom left main with yet another gas first build and Jju was at 3 o’clock using yet another 12 pool. Jju got to build his second hatch first of course, due to his more mineral rich build, and chose to place it at his natural. In contrast, Chojja’s gas rich build allowed him to tech faster and he began a spire with his second hatch in his main.
Chojja made a sudden attack with a large ling army, but was deflected by a sunken and opposing zerglings. He followed it up immediately with a 4 muta attack. Jju’s spire wasn’t even done yet, so he lost some drones and lings while he waited to produce scourge.
Jju does a better than average job of killing off Chojja's early mutas with some scourge.
Jju’s scourge use was impressive, granted, and he was able to kill a number of mutas early on. However, in his hast to counter his opponents early spire Jju failed to notice that Chojja was only producing lings at this point. He was run over very easily as his scourge hung uselessly in the air, unable to aid him in any way.
Chojja > Jju
Again Jju goes with a late gas build. Again Chojja controls the pace of the game entirely. Again Jju doesn’t even get his second gas up, making his fast expo build useless.
Chojja wins 3-0 and moves on to the finals!
Jju played like garbage. He was constantly behind, defending stupidly with drones for no reason. His late pool, late gas builds were lame and didn’t suit the maps, nor did they counter his opponents lower economy fast tech builds.
Again, I can’t imagine that Jju didn’t run into these very common fast pool/lair builds while he was practicing. Chojja didn’t exhibit anything extraordinary at all. He just played solid, but looked invincible due to Jju's inept play. Let’s hope Jju decides to show up next time he plays on TV.
That’s all for the semis. I’d like to thank OctoPuSs once again for helping out. Reports on 3/4/5th place finishers are coming soon.